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Garage Door Distributor Turns to Sage 100

J.F. Cook, a garage door and commercial window distributor in Southeast Wisconsin, recently implemented Sage 100 Contractor to streamline its processes, enhanced customer service, and integrate all aspects of its business, according to the software supplier. The progam is said to combine accounting, project management, estimating and service management into one complete construction business management system.

Previously, J.F. Cook was using Sage software to handle its accounting and project management tasks but inventory, service management, reporting and many other tasks were being done manually or in other disconnected systems. The company wanted to integrate its operations by consolidating all of its business data together in a single application and therefore added Sage service management and inventory control capabilities, as well as companion products to integrate with the company’s outsourced payroll provider and streamline payroll tax filing tasks.

“Before, our service operation was managed with paper, spreadsheets, and the knowledge in peoples’ heads,” says Stacey Teal, J.F. Cook’s operations manager. “Now we have full inventory control, warranty tracking, a graphical dispatch board, tight integration with job costing, and our technicians now have the ability to input data from the field using an iPad.”

The business management solution has also helped J.F. Cook improve its customer service, officials report. “We have many types of contracts with different billing arrangements. Before, we did not have an efficient way to track the contract details, so billing errors sometimes occurred,” explains Teal. “Using Sage 100 Contractor, we track all the contract information and billing is faster and more accurate.”

The distributor's return on investment with the new software is significant, officials report. “We used to have an accounting staff of six full-time employees. With the efficiencies we gained, we were able to eliminate two full-time positions and reduce two others to part time. The labor savings significantly improves our bottom line,” says Teal.

A YouTube video from Sage North America highlighting J.F. Cook's use of its system.